Improvement in tubes and flues of feed-water heaters



UNITED STATES JEROME AVVHEELOOK, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT lN TUBES AND FLUES OF FEED-WATER HEATERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,733, dated January 20, 1874; application filed March 27, 1873.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, JEROME -WHEELooK, of the city and county of Worcester, in the State of Massachusetts have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Feed- VVater Heaters; and I do hereby declare that the following speciiication, taken in comicotion with the drawings furnished, and forming a part of the saine, is a clear and true descripexhaust-pipe between it and the engine, or between it and the point from which it is tin ally discharged.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a bent or curved due, suitable for use with my heaters. Fig. 2 represents, in longitudinal section, one of my horizontal feed-water heaters.

A denotes, in each instance, one of the bent or curved flues. It differs from others of its general kind only in being curved or bent. The curve commences at a short distance from each end. The portion ot' the tube adjacent to its joint with the heads of the heater is straight. The extent ot' the curve may, of course, be varied, but the deviation from a straight line at the middle ot1 the tube, of a distance equal to from three to eight times its diameter, will generally be sutlieient to secure the desired effect. B denotes'the heater-heads, in which the tubes are fitted after the usual manner of boiler tubes or lues. 'Vhen a feedwater heater, like that shown in Fig. 2,- is in `proper position, it is connected by means of tlanges, as usually employed, at one end with the exhaust-steam pipes which connect with the engine, and at the other end with the exit exhaust-pipe. It is generally laid horizontally, as shown, and properly connected with the feed-pump and the usual water-pipe connections. In practice it will often occur that the water will get so low in the feeder that some or all of the pipes will get unduly heated, and be inadeto expand and lengthen to a degree which will greatly endanger the joints at their ends, it' no means be provided to prevent it. With the straight pipes, as heretofore used, the leakage at the joints was a frequent occurrence. To such an extent was this the case that their use has been practically abandoned, for all leakage of water1` into the eX- haust-pipe must necessarilyhave to be ejected by the steam, or it would find its way down to the cylinder, and there injuriously ai'eet the working ot' the engine. It is, however, ot' great economical importance that the exhaust steam be utilized, and it can be readily and practically accomplished with my heater. With pipes or ilues, curved or bent, as described, the same, or even a greater degree of actual longitudinal expansion occurs, but the expansive force is diverted from the longitudinal line of the tube to a line at right ailgles thereto, which practically relieves the joints from all strain.

Cast-iron heads can be fitted with my tubes, and then be inelosed or combined with an iron barrel or shell cast thereon in a mold, `as is common in the art of casting. Such a heater is safe, inexpensive, and, on account of the non-liability ot' the joints to leak, of great durability.

In vertical as well as in horizontal heaters it is to be remembered that the variation in the tubes from a straight line should be as i little as possible, in order that the passage of the steam shall not be so much retarded as to induce objectionable back pressure. The ag-.

gregate area of the openings in the several nues should, in most cases, be from one-quarter to one-half greater than the area of opening in the main exhaust-pipe.

I am aware that bentand curved steampipes have been heretofore proposed, `,with a view to protecting their end joints from such injury as they would be liable to receive from undue longitudinal expansion; but I am not aware that a feed-water heater has ever, prior to my invention, been composed of a number of bent or curved exhaust-pipes, communicat- PATENT OFFICE.

ing in the aggregate at each end with lengths ing im aggregate delivery capacity which s l or ordinary exhaust-pipe, and an iuelosing equal'to, or greater than, that ofthe sections jacket to form a feed-Water receptacle. of pipe with which they are to be collectively Having thus described my inventiom I claim connected, and an inelosing jacket, as de- :is new, and desire to secure by Letters Pzttscribed.

ent- JEROME WHEELOOK.

A feed-Water heater, adapted to serve as at Witnesses: section 0f exhaust-steam pipe7 and composed A. GEORGE BALLOCH, of' several bent 0r eurved exhaust-pipes, 112W- CEAS. B. WHITING. 

